Cold Skin, Warm Soul
by Willow Pierce
Summary: Jack Frost he was alone for 300 years before he met his "friends". What if they were never his "friends" and they only kept him around because they needed to. (Betrayal, Loneliness, Angst, and Depression)
1. Fire and Ice

300 years I have been alone. Not being noticed, not being believed in. The little interactions I've had with people (ie...the guardians) I've messed up. After the whole situation with Pitch, all the guardians suddenly seemed to care about me. It helped at first, but as things gradually faded back to normal and I was on my own a lot, still not being believed in except for those few kids who eventually forgot me.

Today was the day I decided to talk to North about my problems. The wind carried me through a window in his workshop. I walked up to the door of his office and raised my hand to knock, but I stopped short when I heard Bunny's voice, "Oi North have you noticed anything different about how the way things are right now,"

I placed my ear to the door as I heard North's voice, "I'm not sure I know what you're getting at?"

Bunny sounded upset, "ugh I'm talking about Frost. He always messes everything up." I sunk to the floor as I heard his fist slam against the desk. "There is always a problem, nothing ever goes the way it is supposed to. Take Easter for example he messed that up to the point that I was not believed in. He doesn't understand." I knew the longer I stayed with my ear against the door the worse things I would here.

I summoned the wind to carry me to my home. As the winter wind blew against my face that sense of joy I always felt when I traveled with the wind never came. The wind is my only friend. It never talks about me to anyone and he never leaves me out to dry.

The pond greeted me as the wind died down. I walked to my overhang of trees. This was where I spent most of my 300 years here. "I don't understand? Of course not why would I ever understand what it's like to be alone?" I sighed what Bunny had said to North hurt. It hurt badly as if the ties between the guardians and are were officially broken. A lone tear froze to my cheek I just don't see the point anymore.

I couldn't understand how I could be a guardian when I can't even guard myself. Who knew being a "guardian" would slowly tear myself apart. I laid down on my snow bed staring at the roots above my head thinking of everything I heard today. I could not believe one of my "friends" would say something like that.


	2. Dreams

AN: Sorry for the short chapter I promise the next one will be longer

I couldn't sleep. My head hurt so bad from the billions of thoughts running through my head. It started snowing lightly and it was really the only thing that drowned out the thoughts.

Bunny's words were slowly eating me away and I couldn't stand it. I felt terrible, to put it lightly. My heart ached. I promised myself I would never allow that feeling in again. I never wanted to be alone again.

The snow was falling faster now, and for the fist time in my entire life I was cold. I was so damn cold. I was lying in my bed shaking terribly. Suddenly m I felt my eyelids get heavy as I fell into unconscious

Sandy's POV:

I grabbed Jack and pulled him onto my sand cloud. I was concerned for the young guardian. He curled up in a ball shaking uncontrollably. I noticed that there was frozen tears running down his face. I frowned, traveling as fast as I could to get to North's. I just hope I didn't find Jack to late.

He looked immensely pale. Which is saying a lot considering he's usually white as snow. It looked as if he hasn't slept in days. I could tell he was slowly destroying himself. I turned to look at the small boy once more and watched as a nightmare formed above his head.

I watched as the scene played out in front of me. In the dream it looked like bunny was screaming at jack telling him things like he was useless and would never amount to anything. I watched as all of us, one at a time came up and screamed at him. Even me, except it was with my pictures. I watched as Jack ran away from us. He ended up rite back where I found him. Alone in his overhang of trees. I frowned and sent some of my sand into his dream. Not a lot just enough to send him into a deep, relaxed, no dream sleep.

I watched as he relaxed immediately. I shook my head slightly, focusing on getting to North's as fast I could.


	3. When Faced With The Truth

North's POV:

As soon as I saw Sandy with Jack I immediately knew something was wrong. I walked over and picked up the unconscious guardian who nuzzled into my red jacket. He looked so small in my arms.

I carried him through my office and through the side door where my bed was. I placed him on my bed and covered him with my thick covers. That's when I noticed how small he was. Jack looked like a small child having a nightmare. His face was contorted as if he was in pain. It took all of my will not to hold him and tell him it was going to be alright.

However in truth, even if I wanted to I wouldn't know what to say to him. I had no idea what happened and Sandy refused to tell me. He just told me to keep it between him and I.

I sat in the chair across the room watching Jacks every move. I watched his chest rise and fall. I gripped his staff that lay in my hands tightly, I wanted, no needed, to know what happened to him. My hands relaxed as my eyes traveled to the piece of wood that rested in my fingers. My eyes traveled up and down the wood, they focused on something that wasn't supposed to be there. A small line of crimson.

Jack's POV:

My eyes fluttered open. I had no idea where I was. Everything was blurry and the room was spinning. I grabbed my head with my hands to hopefully make it stop. No such luck. Count down from five 5...4...3...2...1... I took a deep breath and the dizzy was faded away.

I looked around the room. The walls were much like the walls in North's office. Cheerful. Then it hit me "oh crap". Immediately I began searching for my staff, I couldn't very well leave without it. It wasn't anywhere, not under the bed, next to the book shelf, not in the drawers, and not in the closet. I opened a door and saw North standing directly in front of me. "Uh hi?"

North enveloped me in a hug, "My friend, I was so worried about you". I found my way out of his hug and gave him a look of disapproval.

"Where is my staff North?" I looked him in the eyes to let him know I was completely serious. He gave me a confused look.

"No Jack, something is seriously wrong. I know that much. If you let me help you no one else finds out about any of this, but if you don't then I'll have no other option than to involve the guardians." I knew he was serious.

I tried to play it off like I was fine, "look North", I plastered on a smile, "I'm fine,but I'm going to be late. Blizzards to form snowball fights to start you know what I'm talking about. Now just hand me my staff and we can both go our own ways." I smiled and held out my hand hoping it would work.

He grabbed my chin and force me to look into his big blue eyes. He looked mad. In truth that made me a little upset. Here I am again ruining someone's perfectly good day. His eyes made it hard to keep my act up, but I never faltered.

Finally he spoke, "No Jack, no." I watched him as he reached into his pockets. He pulled out what looked like a vial of Sandy's dream sand.

"No..." I was horrified that it ended up resorting to this.

"Now Jack calm down I won't hurt you." I backed up slowly from the red giant standing in front of me.

"St...stay away." I bumped into a table, causing its contents to spill onto the floor.

"Now Jack please." My back was against the wall now. I wouldn't go back to the nightmares. I didn't want to relive that moment again, and again. Not thinking I ran towards the only window in the room and jumped. After that I never looked back.


	4. Run

AN: WOW! This is my most popular story. I've never had this good feedback on the story thank you everyone

Jack's POV:  
The ground came faster than I expected. What am I talking about I wasn't thinking. When I landed I felt pain erupt through my ankle. "Ah. Shit." I tried to get up but I fell right back down. There was a strong blizzard outside, but even though the winds were strong I heard North calling my name.

I got up and stumbled, I needed to move. Fast. I couldn't sit here and wait for him to find me. I would accomplish nothing by doing that. I would just end up back in North's office. I forced myself to ignore the pain in my foot.

I trudged through the snow. For what seemed like hours. It was falling so fast that I could barely see rite in front of my nose I came to the edge of the burg. I sat on the edge and dangled my feet over the it. "It hurts doesn't it?" I jumped and turned to see who spoke.

I glared , "What do you want Pitch?" I turned to look back over the frozen sea once more.

To my surprise Pitch settled down next to me. "Believe me or not Jack I don't want anything. I've been watching you these past few days. It must be hard I don't know how you can be taking it this well."

I relaxed a little, "What are you getting at."

He sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. "We all have nightmares Jack. Things we can only imagine. No one has the same nightmare. There are few people, children even, I've seen that experience what you're experiencing right now."

"And what's that?" I snapped.

He chuckled, "I've seen your nightmares, just as I've seen North's, Tooth's, Bunny's, and yes, even Sandman's. each one so different, so innocent. However, yours gives even me shivers." I gave him a confused look.

"What do you mean Pitch? This is just the way my life goes. I've been alone for a long time. It's nothing I can't get used to." I shrugged it hurt. I know I can't deny that, but he faster I can accept that fact the faster I can go back to being me.

"I wish things like this were that simple, but in reality they are not. You had a foundation built on top I your loneliness only to have it ripped away. You may not know this. You may not want to accept this but that's what your dreams were about. People don't realize how much nightmares can show who a person really is." The snow was clearing up and I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Look I'm not going to tell you what to do I think that you should have a serious conversation with North." I turned to look Pitch in the eyes, but he was already gone. I sighed, as much as I hate to say it Pitch was rite.

*flashback*  
Pitch's POV:  
Today was surprisingly a nice day, to me at least. The snow crunched beneath my feet as a light sprinkling fell from the sky. I was just over the hill from North's workshop. I was walking when I saw the young guardian slip in through the window. I spoke to myself, "We'll isn't this curious?"

I slipped in through the same window and watched as the young guardian placed his ear to the door. I snuck out the window and perched myself under the window to North's office. I heard Bunny's voice through the open window. "He always messes everything up North."

I watched the broken guardian fly away from the whole situation North's booming voice brought me out of my trance, "Your rite, however Jack is but a mere child. We all seem to forget that. He has also been alone for 300 years. We can't just expect him to have the same social standards we have."

I know I shouldn't care about jack, but him and I have more in common than he thinks. I know what it feels like to be rejected and pushed around by others. I turned to follow him hoping he wouldn't do something incredibly stupid. "What have I gotten myself into?


	5. The Wind

**[AN: The song in the end is from the movie A Monster in Paris (that's also the name of the song). I suggest you listen to it before or during that part. Thanks again for reading. POSSIBLE OC NEXT CHAPTER I NEED OPIONIONS YES OR NO! PLEASE TELL ME]**

"_Success isn't a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire'_

_-Arnold H. Glasow_

**Flashback continued:******

**Pitch's POV:**  
He looked so broken. It had nothing to do with fear it had to do with the feeling of thinking he will be alone for so long. I watched as he reeled his fist into a tree, silently screaming behind his mask. He gripped his staff in the bleeding hand that was slowly healing (from his magic Its healing external wounds, but not internal).

The snow was falling softly now. Dancing around in the wind like little ballerinas. I looked back at Jack, who was now shaking slightly. I felt terrible for him because I know what it is like to be alone.

**End Flashback****  
**

**Jack's POV:**

I kept repeating Pitches words through my mind. Over, and over again. He was right. God it felt so strange to say that. My body fell back into the snow. The light flakes landed on my face. This is the most relaxed I've been in days. A small smile crept across my face. It felt nice to just lay here not worried about anything. I guess my future is a lot less scary. I think over time I can learn to accept it I mean I was alone for three hundred years. What's another century. I felt my smile melt away. The fact of the matter is that I don't want to be alone ever again.

My hands fell to my sides and touched something wooden. I sat up and looked at it. My smile returned, Pitch got me my staff. Summoned the wind and told it to take a message to Pitch, "I owe you one."

I used my staff to form a thin layer of ice around my foot, which was all swollen from the hours of walking around on it. I felt so much more confident now that I had my friend back. I summoned the wind and felt it carry me through the clouds back to my home. I landed softly in a tree. That talk with Pitch really did help me I think. He is the only person I have ever met that knows what it is like to be in my predicament.

I sighed. I knew it was going to be this way for a while.

_I…I hide my light inside a cloak of night_

_Beneath the red scarf and a chapeaux_

_The pearl of my heart locked within a shell_

_To afraid to let it go_

I know who I am, but no one else can see that. They keep trying to change me. My brow furrowed and I kicked a pile of snow with my good foot.

_And all the headlines read_

_For the whole world to see_

_A monster in Paris_

_I fall apart, I fall apart, apparently_

_I did appear beneath the light_

_Yes, it was me_

_A monster in Paris_

Everyone wants me to be this guardian. A golden angel, but it's not me. How can I possibly guard people who don't believe in me. Bunny even said it to my face. Maybe he was right, but that didn't mean he had to treat me like I was a lesser person than he was. "Stupid Kangaroo". I couldn't help but chuckle at the stupid pet name. It always did make him so mad.

_I hide my pain inside a melody _

_It's as I'd notes I sing set me free_

_I kept all my dreams under a lock and key_

_I'm so afraid that they will fly away from me_

This whole situation was so complicated. I didn't want it to be at all. I just wish I could put the whole thing on pause. No matter what, North betrayed my trust, and there was no way in hell he was getting it back after what he did.

A giant puff of smoke went off in the distance. I summoned the wind. No one would burn down my home not today, today they would pay.

_A monster in Paris_

_A monster in Paris_

_A monster in Paris…_


	6. Forgotten

The moon said my name was Adaline. It told me when I awoke in a forest that was blacker than the night. My skin was a grey ashen color. The snow beneath my bare feet, made me shake. My body was aching and freezing my fingernails were black with some sort of soot. I looked down and my cloths and my tunic was burned to a crisp. My pants were the same. My skin was slightly blackened in some spots. I poked it but it didn't hurt. God was I cold. I rubbed my hands together and I saw a spark and a small puff os smoke jumped from my hands.

I screamed. What the hell. I rubbed my hands together once more. My hands lit on fire but the flame didn't burn. It felt warm on my hands. I allowed the flame to travel up my arms. The fire danced around me, warming my soul. A smile spread accords my face as I allowed the flame to jump from my fingertips into the snow. The fire in my hands immediately went out.

The charred wood that lay scattered along the ground made a connection click in my brain. I fell to my knees and looked all around me. The same thing every one hundred feet or so. Did I do this? Did I cause this destruction? I forgot fire kills people. Fire is dangerous. Bits of soot leaked from my eye. Why was I here after I burned down a whole village. Innocent people dead and it was all my fault.

What I know, I know I'm dangerous, I know I have the power to do things I shouldn't be able to do. I was born to carry the burdens of children. That's my job I have nothing more I need to do in my life than that.

Present:  
For once I allowed my fire the will to dance from my hands and into the air. I smiled for the first time in ages, the flames danced through the air happy to be free. I chased it around my house laughing having fun. That's when it hit me. The fire stopped mid air and exploded all around me I brought my arms in front of my face just in time. My body grew weak and my mind grew heavy with emotions. Emotions that were not my own.  
They hit like a ton of bricks. I grasped my head in my hands. "Ah shit", I fell to the ground and it took a moment for the throbbing to stop.

I sat in the snow starring at my new burns through my bandages. "Dammit," I picked at the remnants of cloth around my arms, "now I need new ones". I started to unravel the bandages looking at the scars of all the burns I've received over the years. I took some snow and placed it on my arms and immediately felt the burning sensation minimize.

Jack's POV:  
I flew as fast as I could my face burning with anger. How dare people try to take my home away from me. I stopped short hiding behind a tree expecting to see Pitch trying to screw me over. I watched a girl who looked about my age stick her arms in the snow. The anger melted away. I carefully made my way to the ground. She looked as if she was in pain.

I walked up behind her quietly and peaked around her shoulder. My staff accidentally bumped her arm and to my surprise it don't pass through her. She immediately jumped up and turned around. "What the hell?"

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to hit you with my staff. I just wanted to make sure you were ok?" I asked genuinely concerned.

"Your Jack Frost rite?" I nodded, "my name is Adaline Blackwell." I sat next to her in the snow.

"Nice to meet you" I smiled. A genuine smile. A person was speaking to me, not a guardian a person. "What are you doing out here? It's cold can I take you home?" I asked confused what a girl was doing in the middle of the forest.

She was shivering slightly, "this is my home."

"What do you mean 'this is your home'. I've lived here all my life and I've never seen you around.

"That's surprising. I've only ever heard of you from the guardians." She looked down at the snow that lay at her feat, "they don't associate with me much."

"I don't mean to be rude, but who are you?"

She smiled, "I carry the burdens of children. Im not a guardian however. Not like i want to be anyway." She pulled her hand out of the snow and held it up. "Step back I don't know if this could hurt you." I moved about a foot away from her and watched as her hand ignite in a blaze. "I can also sort of control fire."

"What do you mean only sort of?"

She hid her arms under the burned tunic she wore. The pieces were starting to come together. "Sometimes if my emotions or the emotions of a child get to strong I lose control. If that happens I burn myself. How do you find me?"

"I saw a cloud of smoke an thought someone was trying to burn my home down."

Her face fell slightly, "sorry that was me. I picked up some really strong emotions and I lost control. Look I didn't mean to take you away from your job. I'll go now." She stood up to leave when I saw her arms covered in burns. I gently grabbed her wrist and flashed her one of my winning smiles.

"Tell me your story."


	7. Everything Burns

**ADELINE's POV:**

The question he had just asked me had taken me back a bit. No one has ever asked me about my past and I honestly didn't have an answer for him, but then again no one has really ever asked me anything. "Uh... What do you want to know?"

I kept my eyes fixated on the ground. "How long have you been around?"

"We'll. I have been around for about 400 years." My eyes traveled to his foot that was covered in a thin layer of ice. "What happened to your foot?"

I watched as his head lowered. "My family betrayed me."

I shrugged and looked up at the sky, toward the moon. "Family's fight, it happens. I've seen it a bunch of times, but it's the ones that care about you that try to figure out what happened and what they need to do to fix it. It's like a big puzzle with 1000 pieces. When the piece doesn't fit sometimes you need to pick up a different one. Sometimes it turns out you had the right piece all along, you just had to turn it around until it fits." I shivered. "I don't know what happened in your predicament Jack, but I can tell you that you can fix it. Just think about it. We have an eternity to live. Is the rite thing to give up now and spend eternity alone? Or fix this problem now and not have to worry about it anymore."

It was silent. I've always liked silence, but this time it was different. He was staring hard at his hands. His face was contorted in thought. I turned away from him and picked up my freshly charred gloves that lay on the ground. I placed the gloves on my hands and stood. He was so lost in thought he didn't acknowledge that I was there. "I never was supposed to be a guardian." He stood his gaze still facing forward. "It was all by chance that I ended up with a family after being alone for 300 years. Now it's been what 5 maybe 10 years I've known them and they still don't know me. Truth is these past few years have been worse than the 300 years that I've been alone. I'd rather be accepted for me, than be accepted because of my title." He turned towards me, his eyes burning. "Three hundred years I've always had myself. Now I don't ever have that anymore."

I looked at the ground lost, thinking about what he just said. "At least you had that." I kicked the snow that lay at my feet. "I don't even know who I am. Where I came from. All I know is that I woke up in the wreckage of this burned down village." I felt the tears build behind my eyes as I looked into his. "I awoke knowing that I was alive when I damn we'll shouldn't be, I awoke knowing that I killed innocent people. Children, parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. Then I learned that I was meant to carry those burdens of the children on earth. I've been alone for four hundred years and I haven't even had myself because I hate who I am, for what I did." I stopped, trying to catch my breath I didn't mean to start yelling at him. Really it wasn't his fault I'm a terrible person.

He spoke first, "Look I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

I immediately felt guilty, "No I didn't mean to yell at you or make you feel bad. Im just not used to company." I wrapped my arms around my shivering body, I hadn't realized it had gotten so cold.  
**  
****JACK'S POV:**  
I felt terrible, to put it lightly. She obviously has had it off worse than me for all these years. At least I had small interactions with the guardians, with people. She never had that, she always had to do her job. Nothing more than that. No one had paid her any mind for all these years. This made me mad, I mean the guardians had to have known about her. Her job is just as important as theirs. What the fuck is their problem. "Do the guardians know your around?"

She shrugged, "yeah. I mean I assume so. I run into the Toothfairy and the Sandman all the time, but I've never talked to either if them. The looked so busy." She began twiddling her fingers. The snow started falling faster now, which happens when I'm angry or upset. "Can I see your foot?" I gave her a confused look and sat down. I held my iced foot out toward her she placed her hands on it and they glowed a soft purple.

The ice melted as the purple glowed all around my foot. It felt warm. Asthe purple faded I realized that my foot was completely healed. I looked up at her in awe, "Tha...thank you".

She smiled, "You're welcome". I watched as Adeline looked up at the moon. It made me think back to all the times I was angry at MiM. He had put me on this planet with absolutely no answers other than my name. I had to figure out everything for myself, as much as I hate to admit it. Pitch was actually the reason I finally got to see my past. "If I was on talking terms with the other guardians I could've gotten you to Tooth and she could've given you your baby teeth."

She looked confused for about a second. I watched as she took her hand and smacked herself in the face. "I never thought to ask her." She looked really mad at herself.

"Hey don't beat yourself up over it. It isn't worth it. I only just found out my past."I shrugged.

"Why are you not on good terms with the guardians, if you don't mind me asking." I sighed and rubbed my face with my hands as I told her everything that happened from start to finish. She didn't interrupt me at all. Occasionally she would nod her head in understanding. I finished my story and it took her a moment to collect her thoughts. "I think you should talk to North, was it. He seems to be the most logical of the group. I could go with you if you need me to. Just to make sure everything gets handled in a civilized manner." I nodded. I didn't need her to come, but maybe I could help her once me and the others were on good terms. "I just have one question."

"Go ahead. What is it?" She has been nothing but kind to me since I met her. She helped me by doing something so simple as listening to my story.

"Um...who exactly is Pitch?"


	8. Darkness

**JACK'S POV:****  
**I was shocked. How could she be older than me and not know who Pitch was. "Um Pitch is the boogeyman." She looked confused.

Her brow furrowed, "What's a boogeyman?"

"A boogeyman is like the bringer of nightmares. The Sandman is his opposite. His job is turning Pitch's nightmares into nice dreams for the children of the earth. His name is Pitch."

"Ok, I'm really lost on who's name belongs to who."

I smiled a little; I keep forgetting that she really doesn't know any of the guardians as well as I do. "Ok. Pitch, the bad guy, is the boogeyman. He brings nightmares to children. North is Santa Clause. He makes sure Christmas is always on schedule. Bunnymund, or Bunny, is the giant Easter kangaroo who's in charge of Easter. Then there is Tooth, or Toothiana, she collects and protects all the children's baby teeth. The teeth contain important memory's from that child's past. That's actually how I learned my past. Then finally there is The Sandman. We all call him Sandy. He makes sure that everyone in the world has nice safe dreams at night."

"Hold on you lost me again. Pitch is bad correct." I nodded, "Then why did he help you if he's so bad?"

I sighed, "I don't think that he is bad, just misunderstood. He's been alone like you and I have. He just hurts, like me not having people be able to see you for so long can really mess with a person."

"I can understand that, I've never had anyone see me and after a while I got used to it, but to have that taken away from you. To have that ripped away from your very arms must be terrible." I looked at her in shock. She sounded just like Pitch.

I stood and stretched my arms. I swung my staff through the air to get the snow to stop falling. I kicked at the snow on the ground. "Life for me has always been a downward slope until I found out why I was chosen by MiM. Then I finally had a reason. Something to go on. You know? He gave me a reason and North helped me find my center. For the past few years that I've gotten to know them, they grew into my family. North and Sandy I could always go to. Bunny was my big brother, everything was a competition. Tooth was always my little sister. I love them all, but sometimes, especially now, I feel like they just keep me around because MiM chose me. That I'm only their friend because I was chosen to be a guardian. I don't believe that they care about my wellbeing. If I wasn't a guardian they wouldn't care about me. I know that." My back was against a tree that was now covered in frost. I can't believe that I just poured my heart and soul into this girl and I had just met her.

"You know Jack you're wrong." My head shot up as I saw Bunny emerge from the forest. "We took you in and yeah, you took some getting used to, but you changed the way we...I...see things." He came closer I watched as he completely ignored Adeline's presence.

"Then why the fuck did you say those things to North. Family doesn't betray one another. I looked up to you only to find out how much you hate me." I got rite in his face when I said that to him. It's time I told someone, one of them, how I feel. "If you don't like me Bunny then stay away from me, because I can handle being alone. I was alone for my entire life and I got along just fine without anyone, but this, this is different. You and North betrayed my trust and that not something that can just be forgiven. You know who was there for me after North tried to drug me? Adeline and Pitch. Not you, Tooth, Sandy, and defiantly not MiM. The enemy and someone that's been around longer than I have and has been through the same pain I have. So don't you dare say I don't understand what it feels like to not be believed in, because I know that feeling more than you will ever know."

Bunny was taken back a bit. And in a way so was I. I was glaring into his eyes as he grabbed my wrist. "We need to talk mate. All five of us." He tapped his foot twice and a hole appeared next to him. Before I knew what was happening I was being pulled into one of Bunny's tunnels with Adeline jumping in after me.

Bunny never let go of me, as much as I kicked and screamed. His grip tightened as we came into North's workshop. "Jack." North enveloped me in a hug, "I'm so glad you're safe." I felt sick to my stomach. This was the last place I wanted to be.

Bunny spoke from behind me, "I found him with her."

I forced my way out of North's arms as he held a hand up to Bunny telling him to be quiet. "Jack, I can't imagine how much you must hate me right now. I honestly deserve it. I betrayed my brother, my friend. I feel terrible. You mean a lot to me Jack and I know I screwed up. Can you ever forgive me."

I turned to Adeline and saw her motion for me to speak. I turned back to North, "look North, the reason I ran is because I was terrified. I've been terrified because I feel like I'm only kept around because I'm a guardian. Not because you accept me for me. I feel like my relationship with each one of you is based strictly on business. I actually came to talk to you about it. That's when I heard Bunny saying all those things to you in your office. I left after you agreed with him. I went home after that knowing that my acceptance in this group was a lie. How am I supposed to know that you're telling the truth when I can't even believe in myself?"

North sighed, and rubbed his face with his hands. "That's when I met Adeline. Did you know that's she's been around longer than I have? Did you know that she protects children the same way that we all do? How come she isn't in our close circle of friends? How come all of you ignored her for the past 400 years instead of helping her? I'll tell you why. It's because she's not a guardian. That's why. So how in the hell do you expect me to believe that you all care about me now and not when it mattered."

"Now this is touching." I turned to see Pitch floating from the window next to me. I reached for my staff, only to remember I didn't have it. "Everyone turning against each other. It's a beautiful sight. Jack you're finally figuring out what I told you earlier." North drew his swords as Bunny drew his boomerangs.

Bunny spoke, "What do you want Pitch?"

He laughed, "I want what you want, but what else is new." I watched his paws tighten around his weapons. "I'm surprised at you Bunnymund. You're so ready to attack me on behalf of Jack when I to heard everything you said to North that morning." His face fell then filled with anger as he launched a boomerang at his head. He blocked it, "tsk tsk tsk, now don't be like that Bunny." Pitch landed next to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder, "you are in no positions to get angry at me."

**ADELINE'S POV:**  
I was so lost. My eyes traveled between the Easter bunny, North and the man holding Jack. I took a step forward, "Jack?"

The giant rabbit turned around and snapped at me. "Stay back this isn't your fight."

I heard the man in black snicker as I felt a shadow fall over me, "Now Bunny, is that any way to treat a guest?" That was the last thing I heard before everything went black.


	9. Scattered Glass

Jack's POV:  
Things happened so fast, I didn't have time to react. Pitch had an unconscious Adeline in his hands. A nightmare with, what looked like fire, swirled around her head. I lunged towards him, but Bunny placed his paw out in front of me stopping me. "What do you want Pitch." He spoke for me, except the way he said it was way nicer than how I was going to say it.

"See I've been following you Jack. I have been for a while now and to be honest, this situation couldn't be any more hilarious." I was lost. "You must be confused. Well I'll clear things up a bit." He smiled devilishly, "you see North has been telling the truth the whole time, yes he agreed with Bunny earlier, but right afterwards he told him that they shouldn't judge you or say things like that because you have been alone for such a long time. The reason he wanted to knock you out was because when Sandy found you, you were a wreck. They didn't want you to hurt yourself or anyone else."

I stared hard at the floor, could it be true? Had it all just been a misunderstanding, I felt Bunny's paw on my shoulder and knew that that's what it had been. "Then you led me to her." He gestured towards Adeline, "such power, so vulnerable, a mere child, a lot like you, and the only people that know this is us two Jack." He started to laugh, "I really don't understand how you all can call yourselves Guardians when you can't even look out for those like you."

He bent over and picked up the limp girl in his arms. I watched as he summoned his black nightmare sand and started to disappear with it. A very pissed off Bunny leaped at him throwing an exploding Easter egg, the air turned bright pink and when the smoke cleared Pitch and Adeline were both gone.

* * *

Pitch's POV:

The girl stayed asleep longer than I had expected her too. There was something that had been bugging me about her. I know for a fact that I had never seen her before, yet. She looked so familiar. I watched her as she slept. She had sharp features, pointed chin, slight grey complexion, with smokey eyelids. She had long black hair with white ends. Burnt arms and clothes, I felt for her. Carrying all those burdens is a tough thing to do.

I rubbed my face with my hands as I heard a scream erupt from no where. "PITCH!"

"Who's there." I yelled into the darkness. I waited for a response, nothing. I raised an eyebrow and massaged my temples, "Great, now I'm going insane." I sat down in a chair I had lying around and relaxed, allowing my cheek to rest on my hand.

My mind traveled back to Frost and how he must feel about now. A small smirk tugged at the corners of my mouth. God did I love causing havoc, and I was damn good at it to. Jack must feel awfully confused as to why I helped him, but all would be revealed in good time.

A small groan brought me out of my trance. I watch the girl try to force herself off of the ground, she was to weak. I stood and walked over to her and held out a hand. Her silver eyes stared into mine as she took my hand. I helped her stand and led her to the chair I was just sitting in. She collapsed into its arms gripping her head. "My name is Pitch." I lowered myself to her level.

"Adeline." She croaked out not bothering to look up at me.

I walked away from her and brought her a glass of water. She took it in her shaking hands and sipped it daintily. That's when I noticed that she was shaking badly. The glass fell from her hands and to the floor. I watched as the prices if glass scattered across the stone floor. I could feel fear along with a bunch of other emotions radiating off of her. I was concerned. "I...I'm sorry, I'll clean it up I promise." She said in the smallest voice I ever heard.

I placed a hand on her shoulder, "It's ok." Why was I being nice to her? I'm never nice to anyone. I watched her fall back into unconsciousness, the same question ran through my mind. Who was this girl and why did I get the feeling I knew her from somewhere.


End file.
